Korea

Annexation and assimilation . Argue why Japan annexed Korea and why it chose assimilation as its administrative policy . Also evaluate these decisions

The Japanese believed that Korea as a country is not capable of coping with the

threat posed by the World Powers ( Unites States and Great Britain Japan believed they are strong and believed that they are the protectors of countries in Asia . They believed that countries in Asia are for the Asians . They don 't want countries in the Asian region to be colonized by the Americans (just like what

happened to the Philippines . There are several reason why the Japan annexed Korea . One , for the on they want to protect and secure their business interest in Manchuria . Second they said that they want to convert Korea from medievalism and persuade her into modern national life

They assimilated Korea , and implemented policies that were also implemented in their own country . The lifestyle and the ideologies of the people were forcefully changed and this becomes worst in the last ten years of annexation . They forcefully assimilate policies to the Koreans like eliminating Korean language study in schools and forcing them to use Japanese readings (Rabson , 1996 ) There was a growth in Japanese landowners and land conscription

The decision that Japan has made is in favorable to them because they got to protect and secure their business interest in Korea . But for the Korean people , the annexation was the worst that happened to Korea . The said plan of Japan for Korea to be independent and progressive was just a like an ugly gift wrapped in a beautiful gift wrapper because underneath the said good intentions were much cruelty and repression Thousands were killed and Korean movements were brutally suppressed Japan 's forced annexation of Korea brought not only distress to the lives of Koreans but also serious

distortions of Korean history (KNC-UNESCO ? 1

What was Korean reaction to Japanese rule : Outline the Korean reactions to Japanese rule . Also determine which reaction was the more patriotic practical and etc

In an article entitled Koreans Unite for War Tribute , a North Korean delegate who visited the Seoul 's Seodaemun Prison History Hall was quoted when he said that Japan was truly cruel enemy of their people and they cannot live under one sky (Salmon , 2005 . A classic example from a Korean who feels bitterness from the half-century (1895-1945 annexation of Japan to their country

The reactions of the Koreans regarding this Japanese rule can be categorized into two

Patriotic Reactions of Koreans regarding Japanese Rule

Jiji Shimp , on Aug . 25 , 1910 (Conroy , 1960

Anti-Japanese Sentiments

According to the book edited by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO , they felt that Korea was robbed of their opportunity to modernized on its own free will

Aside from intense bitterness and resentment of Koreans towards the Japanese is only a natural reaction from the people who felt they were robbed , suppressed and abused . The ends doesn 't justify the means Building railroads and infrastructure for Korea will not erased the fact that many people were killed and so many human right violations were made

An evident of the intense bitterness they felt towards Japanese rule can be seen in the museum that they built in Seoul - the Seodaemun Prison History Hall , here they displayed the typical Japanese atrocities like the graphic exhibits depict Japanese torturing Korean independence activists

The Korean people were also unwilling to move on and accept the offer the reconciliation offered by the Japanese . For them true reconciliation means admitting all the wrongdoings that they have done to the Korean people

C . Practical and Positive Korean Reaction regarding Japanese Rule

1 . Rhee Young Hoon , a professor from Seoul National University believed that Japanese rule was good for Korean because this set the base of modern capitalism and brought much growth and development to Korean economy . He believed this became a part of the foundation of the modern Korean economy that Korea is now enjoying

2 . Professor Emeritus Ahn Byung Jik believed that Japan helped Korea in the economic development and rejected the idea that the late Joseon Dynasty was the one responsible for the growth of capitalism in Korea

3 . Ji Man Won is an author who has a revisionist view . He said that most Korean women in Korea who are claming to be comfort women were faked . Furthermore , he even praised Japan for the modernization it had initiated to Korea

Korea was a very beautiful country with vast resources . They wanted to colonize Korea because they think it was weak and cannot manage its own development . Aside from that they wanted to take advantage of the rich natural resources and have a hold on this country which has a great potential in economic growth and development

Korea was liberated by the conjoined force of United States and the USSR . But from being a colony of Japan they were turned into an occupied territory divided into two by the US and USSR . Although these superpowers said that they were committed to giving back the sovereignity of Korea and dismantling the Japanese , both super powers have their own vested interest for doing so , they both have plans for Korea . The United States wanted two essential characteristics in regimes within their sphere : anti-communist forces control within the state and freedom for private capital . While the Soviet Union wanted communist or social party be in power and nationalized economic based (Gill , 1996

Bibliography

Conroy , Hilary (1960 ) The Japanese Seisure of Korea , 1868-1910 : A Study of Realism and Idealism in International Relations Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania .

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Cumming , Bruce (1997 ) Korea 's Place in the Sun : A Modern History . New York : W .W . Norton